Fire-box for locomotives



(MorleL) W. H. RUSHPORI'H.

Fire Box for Locomotives.

No. 231,240. Patented A'u-g.1 ,1880.

N-PETER8 PHOTWLITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D By NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. RUSHFOETH, OF CAMDEN, NEW J EBSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF, SAMUEL H. GREY, JOHN BUR-R, AND WILLIAM S. SOULL, OF

SAME PLACE.

f flFlRE-BOX FOR LocoMoTlvE SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 231,240, dated August 17, 1880.

Application filed June 23, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom z't may; concern:

Be it known thatl, WILLIAM HENRY RUSH- FORTH, a subjectof-the Queen of Great Britain, residing atU'a mden, State of New Jersey,

United States of America, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Boxes for Locomotives, of which the following is a full specification, and sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which my invention ap- I0 pertains to make and use the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the fire-box and boiler, and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section upon the line as y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one of the union-joints 8 shown in Fig. 1.

My invention is an improvement upon the fire-box for locomotives shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 223,863, granted to me January 27, 1880, and relates to such a construction of fire-box as will insure a more perfect combustion of fuel and prevent the escape of sparks and smoke from the smoke-stack, and also enable the engine to be operated with the door of the firebox open without the possibility of the cold air coming in contact with the boiler-fines.

My invention consists in providing within thefire-box removable water-filled diaphragms, 0 so arranged as to deflect the draft which comes from the fire-box door upon the fire on the grate, and subsequently allow the gaseous products of combustion and the solid matter therein contained to pass under and around said diaphragms, with the result that the smoke and solid fuel held therein in suspension are to a great degree consumed before entering the boiler-fines.

It further consists in providing the fire-box 40 with a draft door or opening in each of the side walls of the same, and in proximity to the back wall of the fire-box and near to the lower surface of the combustion-arch, with the result that the locomotive may, when it is desired, be operated with the door of the firebox closed, the necessary draft being supplied from such side doors or openings.

In the drawings, A is the fire-box; B, the fire-box-door hole; 0 C G, the boiler-fines D,

the fire-box grate, E, the boiler, and F the flue or tube plate.

G is an adjustable arched metallic diaphragm or draft-plate, made hollow and adapted to contain water, and fitted around the periphery of the door, and extending at an angle downward from the door and into the fire-box to the vicinity of the middle of the said fire box. This draft-plate, in the present instance,

is provided with a flange, H, which, when the draft-plate is in position in the fire-box, catches against the outside of the front of the fire-box, and thus supports said draft-plate. It may, however, be supported in any other suitable manner. It isportable, and may be removed at pleasure.

I is an arched metallic diaphragm or combustion-arch, also made hollow and adapted to contain water, extending from side to side of the fire-box and springing from the flueplate F on the line 1 below the tubes 0 O G, and rising at an angle from said line toward the fire-box door to a point, I, above and over the draft-plate G in such manner that a draftspace, V, is left between the under surface of the arch I and the upper surface of the drat'tplate Gr.

The combustion-arch I is provided with a downwardly-extending flange, J, which is hollow, and is, like the arch I, adapted to contain water. Ihis flange is cut out so as to extend down and over the draft-plate G, as shown at K, and it serves to arrest sparks and solid matter, which would otherwise escape to the smoke-stack unconsumed.

The angle of inclination of the plates I and G, as shown, is about thirty degrees. This angle may, however, be varied as the size of fire-box may require.

The combustion-arch I is provided with one or more pipes, L, springing from the surface 0 of the same and communicating with its interior and extending to and connected with the boiler E at the back wall of the fire-box. The arch G is likewise provided with one or more pipes, M, springing from its surface and com- 5 municating with its interior, and extending to and connected with the boiler at the front wall of the fire box. The object of said pipes L and M is to assistin supporting the diaphragms It is obvious from the construction described I and G, and to supply each of said dia- J that the diaphragms I and G are removably phragms with water, to the end that they shall be less liable to destruction by the heat of the 5 fire on the grate-bars.

The arch I is supported in position in the fire'box upon the studs m n and by the pipe L.

The pipes L and M are connected with the arches I and G and walls of the fire-box, re-

spectively, by union-joints s .s', which joints may be of any desired kind which will permit of the removal of the arches I and G and pipes L and M from the fire-box when required.

I am aware that diaphragms in fire-boxes I 5 of locomotives have been made hollow and provided with water. This I do not claim.

The obstacles incident to directly connect ing the interior of the diaphragms with the boiler are that the joints in that case are made water-tight with great difiiculty and are liable to become damaged'by the ordinary use of the fire-box, whereas in my invention the joints at the connecting-points of the pipes L and M are short and easily made tight, and, being located above the diaphragms, are out of the Way of damage by reason of the feeding otthe fuel to the fire-box.

N and O are draft-openings provided with doors, and located in either side wall of the fire-box at a point near the back wall and near the under surface of the diaphragm I, or they may be located in the front wall of the firebox. These openings serve to supply air to the fire-box when it is necessary or desirable 5 to operate the locomotive with the fire-box door closed.

In operation, when the locomotive is running with the door open the draft-supply to the fire upon the grate is divided between the to fire-box door and the grate-bars, or between the draft-doors N O and the grate-bars, by which the amount of coal consumed is materially reduced from the amount ordinarily coir sumed when the draft is supplied only through 5 the grate-bars.

' fire-box, the removable hollow diaphragm I located within the tire-box, and are constructed and arranged to withstand with the greatest efliciency the effect of the heat of the fire-box, and at the same time said diaphragms are provided with water in such manner and by such devices as reduce the extent of water-tight joints connected therewith, and at the same time assist in supporting the diaphragms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a locomotive, in combination with the for containing water, provided with the downwardly-extending flan ge J and the detachable water-feed pipe L, and the removable hollow diaphragm G for containing Water), provided with the detachable water-feed. pipe M, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a locomotive, in combination with the fire-box, the removable diaphragm I, pitovided with the downwardly-extending flange J, and diaphragm G, draft-space V, and draft-doors N and O, substantially as shown and de scribed, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a locomotive, in combination with a firebox with a supply-door, B, and. draftescape U and draft-doors N and. O, the removable hollow diaphragm I, provided with the downwardly-extending flange J, and diaphragm G, provided with detachable feedpipes L and M, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto. signed my name this 9th day of June, 1880.

WILLIAM HENRY RUSILFORTH.

In presence of- W. C. STRAWBRIDGE, J. BONSALL TAYLOR. 

